Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Saudi Arabia awards $490m contract for museum in Diriyah Also this week: Smash burgers in Riyadh and Saudi maps in Venice By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil. United Arab Emirates
Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Ithra brings MENA design to Milan By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Is Saudi crown prince winning or losing in the Middle East? With Saad Hariri staying on as prime minister in Lebanon, the Saudi crown prince has suffered another setback in his efforts to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Abbas under pressure to accept Trump's 'ultimate' deal The United States is making efforts to push US President Donald Trump's vision for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process using Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a pressure point. Saudi Arabia
Pentagon reports troop surge in Middle East Newly released Pentagon figures show a surge in US troops deployed across the Middle East this summer. Saudi Arabia
Why Hezbollah wants Hariri back in Lebanon Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s surprise resignation and Saudi Arabia's involvement could set in motion events that will negatively affect Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia
Defeating IS in Yemen While the Islamic State has faced major defeats in Iraq and Syria, the protracted war in Yemen has provided the terrorist group's branch in that country oxygen to breathe. Saudi Arabia
Yemenis 'trapped in hell' as war escalates With help from the United States and the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s blockade and airstrikes on Yemen have created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia
Has Kushner given Riyadh carte blanche? Diplomats and military chiefs worry Jared Kushner's peace play could be giving Saudis and Emiratis a sense of entitlement to take overreaching, hard-line actions that could destabilize the region. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia seeks to turn back clock on Iran The debacle surrounding the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister amid growing Saudi hostility toward Iran suggests a coming showdown in the region. Saudi Arabia
Are Israel, Saudi Arabia about to upgrade relations? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Prince Mohammed bin Zayed are dramatically changing relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia
Can Lebanon handle truth about Hariri, Saudi Arabia? Saad Hariri faces his own court of conscience; US-Iran relations revert to axis of evil days. Saudi Arabia
How Saudi regional moves impact Israel The Saudi desire to change its role from a behind-the-scenes player to a forefront leader pushes it to engage in the US-led Mideast peace initiative. Saudi Arabia
How Riyadh orchestrated its own downfall in Lebanon Saudi Arabia's policy shift toward Lebanon in trying to curb Hezbollah's power has failed miserably and made Saad Hariri the most popular Lebanese leader. Saudi Arabia